...in the Same Direction:

(Last week)
Monday's workout: 3 miles, 33 minutes

Wednesday's workout: 3 miles, 33 minutes

Saturday's workout: 5 miles, 51 minutes

(This week)
Monday's workout: 3 miles, 33 minutes

Wednesday's workout: 3 miles, 29 minutes

Day 56 of My Pop-Free Existence: Still rolling...
Day 56 of The Bible in One Year: Still an unbelievable blessing...

(Post title borrowed from the title of Eugene Peterson's book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society.)

Herm Edwards is a former NFL football coach most known for his speech where he boldly declared: "You play to win the game!"

As much as we football-types like to make fun of Herm for this, I think there is a bit of truth there. Let's stick with football a second. One of the most frustrating things about some football games is watching your team get ahead by doing all of the right things: being aggressive, executing well, and making plays...and then watching them stumble late in the game by becoming tentative. We've given that phenomenon a name in football fan circles: "Playing not to lose." And what usually ends up happening? Your team loses, not necessarily because they're not better, but because they lost their swagger. It's terrible to watch.

Some days, I find myself not being that assertive, proactive type of person that I know God made me to be. Rather, I become a passive, excuse-laden guy who is "playing not to lose." Today, I stand on 2 Timothy 1:7 (YLT): "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Friday’s workout: Just your basic 3-miler after a rough day. Finished it off by hitting 6 free throws in a row. Not nearly my record (34), but it’ll do for now. 3 miles, 33 min.

Saturday’s workout: Official training start for the River Run 10-K. Weekend long run, so I set out to try 5 miles. Started at 10-minute pace, and was already gassed at 2.5. So I slowed to 12-minute pace, and decided at mile 3 that I’d keep going until I fell over. It was right about then that I glanced down at the “2%” that was flashing across my treadmill’s dial every so often. It took me that long to realize: I was going on a 2% grade the whole time. Uphill. Naturally, that motivated me even more. I kicked it back up to 10-minute pace after mile 4. I’ll never forget the feeling I had at mile 4.13, with David Crowder roaring in my ears, “There is no one like you…” I realized it for the first time all day: “I’m going to make it!” 5 miles, 55 min.

I don’t really put a whole lot of stock into the caloric readouts on the treadmills I use. But still, doesn’t 818 sound like a lot of calories burned?

Day 43 of The Bible in One Year: Joseph might be my favorite character in the Bible. He was hated, betrayed, sold, deceived, sold out...and yet the Lord gave him success in all that he did, wherever he was. His attitude toward God never changed from its child-like naivete, as if to say, "How could I even think of doing wrong against God?" God rewards him greatly in the end, and gives him a chance to bless those who had betrayed him earlier in his life.

We generally consider child-like obedience a bad thing in our culture. I think we should reconsider.

Day 40 of My Pop-Free Existence:

6-8 oz. filtered water
6 oz. natural plain yogurt
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1 cup frozen blueberries (pictured) or strawberries or oranges or whatever you fancy
1 banana
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil (optional, and I'm out of this right now)

Nothing fancy...just a bunch of fruit and a bunch of protein that's 10 minutes, start to finish. It begs the question: "Why haven't I been doing this all along?"

I've really got to work on the whole Monday thing. When I worked out on Saturday, I felt like R. Kelly. "I believe I can fly..."



Day 34 of The Bible in One Year: I started Job today. Not sure I'm ready to have my life thrown into the harsh perspective that Job offers whenever I read it, but it's next!